Mike Elko to Mississippi State?
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The news broke early Friday morning on the status of Joe Moorhead. Multiple sources surrounding Starksville believed the former Penn State offensive coordinator could be leaving the Magnolia State for a job back north.
Perhaps he still will, but it won't be on his terms. Mississippi State announced the firing of Moorhead after two seasons with the program. He would finish with a 14-12 record, picking up victories over rival Ole Miss in The Egg Bowl in both years.
According to a source by Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger, tempers began to flare between Moorhead and the staff following their 38-28 loss to Louisville in the Music City Bowl. The two parties started to have struggles with their ugly 21-20 victory over the Rebels on Thanksgiving.
Moorhead now becomes the third coach to be fired in the second season of his contract, following the likes of Chad Morris (Arkansas) and Willie Taggart (Florida State). With an opening found in the other school in Mississippi, there are now four schools in the SEC looking for head coaches.
The Razorbacks hired Georgia's Sam Pittman while Appalachian State's Eli Drinkwitz and FAU's Lane Kiffin would be brought in by Missouri and Ole Miss, respectively. But with a defense in place, could the Bulldogs hire Texas A&M's Mike Elko as their next head coach?
During his two seasons at Texas A&M, the Aggies have boosted one of the top defensive units, specifically in the trenches. The team finished 2nd in run defense during the 2018 season while were ranked in the top 30 during 2019.
Jimbo Fisher gave Elko a $300,000 raise after reports began to arise he would be up for a head coaching role. Elko currently sits as the third highest-paid assistant in the country behind fellow defensive coordinators Dave Aranda ($2.5 million) at LSU and Brent Venables ($2.2 million) at Clemson.
The one area where Elko perhaps could not be a fit for the Bulldogs is his background in the College Football world. The Pennsylvania native has spent aa majority of his career up north, making trips to Penn, Wake Forrest, Bowling Green and Notre Dame. A&M is the first team the 43-year-old has coached in the south and was considered an option for multiple smaller coaching roles.
Elko has been a hot name in the making, but is he the right fit for the Bulldogs? The team ranked 75th in total defense last season and outside the top 50 in run defense. With Elko's sharp wit, the team would likely improve against the run and build from the trenches.
The reality is the Bulldogs will likely want to go offensive-minded. With the plan to move forward with freshman quarterback Garrett Shrader, the team could be going for someone who could pull the best out of him. A name such as Louisiana's Bill Napier would be in consideration for the position after a successful stint with the Ragin' Cajuns.
Elko certainly should be a name on the rise, but let's not jump to conclusions. Perhaps he'll earn a head coaching job soon, but don't expect the Bulldogs to be the one calling.
